Outter Banks Help

[Maurice]

My family and I are heading to the Outter Banks the first week of August. I see I will now need a license ($10) to fish the coastal waters. That aside, We are staying in the sound near Kill Devil Hills on Colington Island. We have a canal front house and plan to rent a sea kayak. We will be a short paddle to the open sound and about 8 miles to Oregon Inlet. (too far to Paddle)

What kind of tips would you recommend we use to get us into fish...tides, bait, lures, close to structure, open water wind direction. you know what I mean. Oh and we are also considering doing some crabbing too. How does one go about doing that?

If you feel like helping either respond or PM me. I am getting kind of excited about this trip. rather than being trappes on the surf and sun for 7 days, we will be able to take a slow and easy explore in the sound.

Thanks in advance.

Maurice

 

[trico]

the crabbing part is easy, a piece of chicken or fish on a string w/ a weight. throw 'er in, wait... slowly lift up to the surface, (the crabs will hang on) and scoop w/ a net. obviously don't pull the bait from the water...
boil, crack, apply old bay, yummy yummy.....

 

[jayL]

Maurice,

If the wind is blowing out of the SW like it was for my last few trips, the surf is going to look like chocolate milk. A little trick if that's the case: go south of the cape. The water will be gin clear down there in those conditions. Hopefully you get some winds blowing inshore so you can get into the spanish and (hopefully) king mackerel in the surf. Also, you could probably manage some delicious flounder within 10 feet of the beach if the water's clear... I'd imagine a big clouser would get the job done for that.

For crabbing, just ask the local bait shops for some recommendations. I know there are docks at the public boat ramps in the northern bridges (near Corolla, I think), and also probably down near Oregon Inlet.

If you get out with a guide up your way you very well could get into some awesome striper action. I did.

 

[Bruno]

Maurice:

Tom G gave me some great advice at the Jam and I will pass on what he told me.

Flys- Half n Halfs , Lefty’s Deceiver. Clousers. Size

Pompano on the breach, Flounder and Sea Trout in the sound.

Make sure you wash your gear after every use. I just set mine in the shower for 20 min every night. If you can drive out on the beach. When you see birds there will be fish. It is also fun to blast down the beach in the truck.

I went out every morning and caught flounder and trout for the most part in the sound.

Here is a web site that Tom shared with me http://outerbanksflyfishing.com

Have fun.

 

[Bruno]

I forgot. A stripping basket is a must. I made one out of my wading belt and a big tupperware thingy my wife had.

 

[Maurice]

Thanks Bruno....I forgot about the basket. I have a few extra belts...just gotta steal a piece of tupperware off the wife. I heard about a trick to put an egg carton in it upside down to keep the line from piling up. Gonna have to give it a shot.

Most of the focus is on the oregon inlet in that area onthe message boards. I guess I'll just have to go out and cast in the sound near Collington Island.

Would I need a sinking tip in the sound?

Alsi, I have a sinking line for my five weight. I've used it on my 10' 6 wt and it casts pretty good. Would I get a shooting head (I don't even know what that is at this point)

Maurice

 

[pool_spooker]

Hey Maurice,

Trent Bentzel and I just returned from a week in Hatteras. We stayed on the beach in Avon. Fished the surf every morning. Used 9 and 10 weights with no luck. Surf fishing has been poor down there over the past month or so. Very few fish being caught although you hear reports of a few blues or pompano here and there. The shops pump up the reports, well we know why. Its a long winter down there. Two of my friends who owned the Pelican's Roost Bait and Tackle got washed out 2 years ago from a Hurricane. They manage another outfit now and I know how things go down there. Its a tough off season, so when you hear fishing has been great, thats offshore. Best surf fishing and sound is Nov - Feb. We had no luck at all. The sound is probably your best bet, although the water temps there are getting very high. Sea trout have moved out but there are still some fish hanging in the grass.
No trout though. Forget about the sound at Bodie Island, the water is way too warm. Head south below Oregon Inlet and fish the sound below Avon and Buxton, after the break. There are separate fishing licenses for sound and salt. Red Drum tackle below Avon will hook you up on fly casting areas. A kayak is the way to go, believe me.

Make sure you use a stripping basket, its a must especially if your gonna fly cast in the surf. We found it to be very difficult and I ended up using my spin rod ultralight. Make sure the stripping basket has holes in the bottom to drain water, it gets heavy. The surf down therre can be very rough and it beat us up pretty good trying to make a good flycast.

If you fish the sound, drive through Avon, and on your right you'll see a 'day use' area. Right there you'll see kite boarders and a lot of paddlers. Down form there where nobody is, you'll see some grass islands. Safe wading for sure and there are fish there hanging around the small grass islands. You'll hook up there, that would be your best bet. So go in with low expectations. I've been fishing Hatteras many many years. This time of year the only good fishing is off shore. The rest is just plain old slow, but pretty.

Look for signs of a south easter wind, seems to push bait fish inshore, hit the beach and look for parts of the beach that swell and then sink. Fish in between those. YOu might hook up with some smaller fish, pompano, small blues or maybe a mack. But to be honest, its just slow.

So enjoy the adventure, its beautiful down there. Good luck.

Oh and a BIG NOTE: Slow your speed down across the island. New bridge budgets are being created and money is needed. 300$ plus speeding tickets and the cop will thank you for your contribution to bridge repair and creation. Have a safe trip.

And right now the sea scallops are the best they have been in years, even better than the bay(sound) scallops, you gotta try em.
We also bought live crabs and steamed them ourselves. 60$ 1/2 bushel. about 3 1/2 dozen, very nice males.

 

[pete41]

From a kayaking wade fisherman in the back bays and tidal creeks.
Wear foot protection,long sleeve shirts,preferably pants and have plenty of bug spray.Chapstick helpful.
The foot gear and long pants may seem sissy,until you step on an oyster bed,or ray and jellyfish can be there.
I realize that this is a fly fishing forum but strongly suggest[recommend] a Spinning outfit for 1/4 to 3/4 oz lures.Gold spoons[silver minnows] and 4 or 5 inch plastic jerkbaits.Zoom are good.
You will probably get an hour at very first light and another at sunset that are hot.You will be able to spot tailing reds and flounder will be active.The rest of the day without a guide or plenty of local knowledge can be mighty slow[dead].The wind will be a factor.When the fish move into the holes during the day you have to know where they are.
After a while trout fishing you just know where to expect to find fish,out there on the flats fish are where you find them.It doesn't mean anything no matter how fishy a place looks.Drives me crazy.You see those places that you know would be good trout feeding stations but in the tidals or on the flats the gamefish will be where the baitfish are and they try their best not to be where its easy pickings.So don't be surprised to find the reds in inches of water in a deadlooking spot.Good luck.

 

[tomgamber]

Mo,

Here are the must reads for your trip...

http://oregoninlet.us/flyfishing/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=243

http://oregoninlet.us/flyfishing/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2190

http://oregoninlet.us/flyfishing/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3

http://www.sefly.com/hatteras2.htm

Also check the active board as Bruno said...If you are only 8 miles from Oregon Inlet, You should take some time and either put in or wade that area at least one day. There are references in the above posts to specific locations to try.

Also, If you com upon a large amount of cash, all of a sudden, you might want to consider going out for a day with either Flat out or Fly Girl...A quick browse of their form will get you excited.

I would say either an intermediate line is probably enough...if you take that Yak in the ocean, you might need a faster sink.

I too stayed in Avon...caught a ton of fish in the surf on big spin tackle...surf was too rough for flies...the sound should do you good though.

Stripping basket is good...but instead of egg carton, just drive some big nails up thru the bottom...make ure you poke drain holes too. I picked up a stripping basket online for 20 bucks...I think from LLBean.

 

[JackM]

Maurice, what ever happened to "If it ain't flowin', I ain't goin'?

 

[Maurice]

JackM wrote:
Maurice, what ever happened to "If it ain't flowin', I ain't goin'?

Hey Jack....what can I say....you gotta have compromise in life. Especially marriage and Family. I look at it this way, A week at the beach on the beach is like pergatory to me. I'd be a red beet egg in no time. Bored out of my gord, this way, in the sound, I can rent some kayaks, take the kids out to explore some nature they don't always get to see and allow the wife to enjoy some well deserved quiet time. She works five days a week while I fish and browse message boards. :lol:

So this is a vacation for her and for me from stream fishing. And I may not even fish much....without another person with fishing interest, my passion for the salt isn't overwhelming. I just would like to have a leg up on my options....

So keep the suggestions coming....if that satisfies your curiousity.

Maruice

 

[tomgamber]

Maurice wrote:

JackM wrote:
Maurice, what ever happened to "If it ain't flowin', I ain't goin'?

Hey Jack....what can I say....you gotta have compromise in life. Especially marriage and Family. I look at it this way, A week at the beach on the beach is like pergatory to me. I'd be a red beet egg in no time. Bored out of my gord, this way, in the sound, I can rent some kayaks, take the kids out to explore some nature they don't always get to see and allow the wife to enjoy some well deserved quiet time. She works five days a week while I fish and browse message boards. :lol:

So this is a vacation for her and for me from stream fishing. And I may not even fish much....without another person with fishing interest, my passion for the salt isn't overwhelming. I just would like to have a leg up on my options....

So keep the suggestions coming....if that satisfies your curiousity.

Maruice

There is plenty of flowing going on...just wade out into the sound near the inlet and you will be surprised just how much and how many currents try to move you this way and that. Those currents are part of why you need a sinking line sometimes. Whether the tide is incoming or outgoing...something is flowin'. So just enjoy yourself Maurice...

 

[tomgamber]

Hey Mo..you got a bite on the other board...sounds like good info!
Don't forget to report back here as well since i'm headed that way on the 18th...Here...just look for the dark spots...

google collinton map

 

[Maurice]

Tom,

Thansk for the hit. I got an email and read it already. Yes it looks good, I hope to get a read on just how far the hole is form the west shore. Nevertheless, its a start.

I am thinking of taking some spinning gear and some plastics for the kids to retrieve while I get my casting arm tired out there. I am getting excited about it.

I had a little non-trout species action tonight....to post it here probably conceals it a little....I feel a little protective about it. Tom D (from the Jam) and I went to the Susky and got into some white fly action. The hatch was heavy, but not of goggle proportion, and I caught catties and smallies. three each. and about the same size range. 12" - 19" for each. I'm stoked right now. Savoring a few brews to wind down.

I hope to have the same at the OBX

Maurice